(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

PigTrace tag price going up

Hog producers will have to pay more for traceability in the near future. Canada’s PigTrace program will be raising ear tag prices as of Aug. 1. Prices will go up 20 cents for every small ear tag and 35 cents for every large ear tag, a release from the Manitoba Pork Council said. The Manitoba […] Read more

A macrophage (immune response) cell in early stages of infection with African swine fever virus, magnified about 1,000x. (Keith Weller photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Canada, EU agree to swine fever zoning rules

Canada and Europe have agreed to new zoning arrangements in a case of African swine fever outbreak, but it’s not clear what will actually change. The agreement, which Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced Wednesday. would allow for safe trade of swine products from disease-free zones if a case of ASF is found. Zoning principles applying […] Read more


A macrophage (immune response) cell in early stages of infection with African swine fever virus, magnified about 1,000x. (Keith Weller photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

China’s cabinet sees ‘shortcomings’ in bid to contain swine fever

Beijing | Reuters — China has shown shortcomings in some aspects of preventing African swine fever, and the situation remains complicated and severe, the country’s cabinet said Wednesday. The management of transporting live hogs is not strict enough, while there is insufficient capacity in testing for African swine fever virus in hog slaughtering, processing and […] Read more




CME August 2019 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs end down, live cattle up

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures closed lower on Wednesday on technical selling including profit-taking and long liquidation ahead of the U.S. Independence Day holiday, along with bearish supply fundamentals, traders said. CME’s benchmark August lean hogs contract ended down 0.6 cent at 78.375 cents/lb., turning lower after rising to […] Read more


CME August 2019 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs up on trade hopes, falling corn prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures rose on Monday on a mix of technical buying, falling corn prices and muted optimism about the weekend resumption of U.S.-China trade negotiations, traders said. “Lean hog futures (received) support from hopes of more Chinese buying after weekend talks went well,” INTL FCStone chief […] Read more

CME July 2019 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Nearby lean hogs drop on continued herd expansion

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures were mixed on Friday, with nearby contracts pressured by plentiful supplies of hogs and pork and deferred months buoyed by signs of a slowing multi-year U.S. hog herd expansion, traders said. Actively traded nearby contracts posted steep declines after the U.S. Department of Agriculture […] Read more